Preseason All-Philadelphia Team: Defense

Pennsylvania provides a steady supply of big-time prospects year in and year out. A large chunk of that player pool consists of prospects who hail from Philadelphia. In this article, we will take a look at the top defensive players that reside in Philly or close to the Philly area no matter the class. With the 2020 season looming, here is the Preseason All-Philadelphia Team! Defensive Line <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="27197" first="Elijah" last="Jeudy"] - 6’3", 246lbs, Northeast, c/o 2021</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="27553" first="Enai" last="White"] - 6’5", 225lbs, Imhotep Institute, c/o 2022</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="27209" first="Taleeq" last="Robbins"] - 6’3", 300lbs, Imhotep Institute, c/o 2021</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="27243" first="Shawn" last="Williams"] - 6’4", 260lbs, Imhotep Institue, c/o 2021</li> </ul> Jeudy and White will serve as our pass rushers. Good luck opposing tackles and quarterbacks. Both players serve as the best defensive ends in each of their classes. We are talking all of Pennsylvania here. Jeudy, a Georgia commit, has a quick first step, displays outstanding hand usage, and is an absolute game wrecker who is always looking to force fumbles. He’s a disciplined yet ferocious player who can play with his hand in or off the dirt. 6’3" isn’t undersized but hopefully, we can see him grow an inch or two to stay playing outside at the next level. White, a junior, is a physical freak. He’s already 6’6" and again is just a junior. He displays excellent pursuit and upper body strength to go along with his long arms. Robbins and Williams will serve as our defensive tackles. Two total monsters in the trenches who happen to play along side previously mentioned [player_tooltip player_id="27553" first="Enai" last="White"]. Both players, who are 260+, move with grace and agility. They both have dominant upper and lower body strength to clog running lanes and provide pressure up the middle. Linebackers <ul> <li>Jeremiah Trotter Jr. - 6’0", 210lbs, St.Joseph’s, c/o 2021</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="27223" first="Eric" last="Gentry"] - 6’6", 205lbs, Neumann & Goretti, c/o 2021</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="27562" first="Anthony" last="Johnson"] - 6’1", 230lbs, Neumann & Goretti, c/o 2022</li> </ul> Our offensive team featured the son of a former NFL star, so will our defensive team. They even happen to be on the same team. Trotter Jr., the son of former Philadelphia Eagle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, is a prototypcial middle linebacker who uses his natural-born instincts and great read and react abilities to shoot gaps and cause havoc in the backfield. He’s a bruiser who boasts great tackling technique. Nothing gets past 2021’s best linebacker. Just behind Trotter is a raw but freakish athlete who primarily plays weakside linebacker. Gentry, who is almost 6’7", loves to rush the passer. He displays great pursuit of the quarterback and has a knack for causing strip sacks. Johnson, a junior, looks to become the best LB in his class as he currently sits as our second best 2022 LB in all of Pennsylvania. Cornerbacks <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="27194" first="Tyreek" last="Chappell"] - 5’11", 177lbs, Northeast, c/o 2021</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="27554" first="Keenan" last="Nelson Jr."] - 6’1", 200lbs, St.Joseph’s, c/o 2022</li> </ul> It doesn’t get much better than these two as both are in consideration for the best corner in the state. Chappell ranks as our fourth best DB in the class of 2021 while Nelson Jr. ranks as the second-best overall player in his class. Chappell is a do it all player who has served as Northeast’s Kick returner and has given snaps at wideout as well. He’s a stud with the ball in his hands and that’s a pretty frequent occurrence. His combination of quick hips and feet let him stay in phase against some of Philly’s more difficult matchups. Nelson Jr. is a natural. He’s awesome when in-phase and at the point of attack. He’s a physical player who deflects a ton of passes and is a nuisance to wideouts. He locates the ball well and is not easily moved off the line of scrimmage. Great size for a junior. Safeties <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="27207" first="Tysheem" last="Johnson"] - 5’10", 190lbs, Neumann & Goretti, c/o 2021</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="27213" first="Saint" last="McLeod"] - 5’11", 197lbs, Imhotep Institue, c/o 2021</li> </ul> [player_tooltip player_id="27207" first="Tysheem" last="Johnson"] is without a doubt in the discussion for best players in all of Pennsylvania no matter the position. A true free safety who has a nose for the ball and endzone. The kid is everything you can ask for in a ball-hawking defensive back despite being slightly undersized. His good range leaves him seemingly always in the right spot, ready to intercept passes. Johnson has some of the best wheels Philly has to offer as well. Saint Mcleod, a West Virginia commit, is part of a loaded Imhotep secondary that looks to their hard-hitting safety to bring energy play in and play out. He does just that. He’s a thumper that plays with his head on fire. He displays beautiful open field tackling, reading and reacting to pass plays, breaking down and squaring up to bring ball carriers down. Honorable Mention <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="27730" first="Rahmir" last="Stewart"] - 5’10", 185lbs, Imhotep Institute, c/o 2023</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="27201" first="Javon" last="McIntyre"] - 6’1", 187, Imhotep Institute, c/o 2021</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="27559" first="Ken" last="Talley"] - 6’2", 220lbs, Northeast, c/o 2022</li> </ul>